Dangerous Reunion (Love Inspired Suspense) (4 page)

“I’m trying to reach Deputy Michaels. I saw her enter the Health Center a few minutes ago.”

Kate’s skin prickled at the singsong voice on the phone, and she tightened her grip on the receiver. “This is Deputy Michaels. How can I help you?”

“I wanted to check on that poor boy who was hurt at the Sun Shop.”

“Are you a family member?”

A low chuckle sounded. “Oh, no.”

Kate reached for a pencil. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name.”

“That’s because I didn’t give it.”

Kate’s heart pounded. She didn’t know who this was, but something told her he was up to no good. “I’ll ask you again. How can I help you?”

He laughed. “I really caused an uproar with my bomb, didn’t I? It was quite exciting to watch.”

Kate sat up straight in the chair and gripped the receiver tighter. “You left that bottle bomb? But why?”

“It’s not time for you to know the answer to that, but you will soon.”

Kate gritted her teeth. “Look, whoever you are, don’t you realize that boy could have been killed?”

“I know, but he wasn’t. He didn’t look dead to me when they loaded him into the ambulance.”

Anger boiled up in Kate. “Wanting to hurt someone you don’t even know sounds sick.”

“I assure you I’m not sick.” His voice hardened with each word.

A thought popped into Kate’s head. “You wouldn’t happen to be wearing a hooded sweatshirt and jeans, would you?”

He chuckled. “Very good, Deputy Michaels. You’ve caught on to me. I must confess I was wearing those items when I saw you at the beach.”

The icy inkling she’d had earlier flowed through her body. “So you were watching from that fishing skiff. Why? Did you kill Jake?”

“Jake?” The voice held a hint of surprise. “Oh, you mean the man on the beach. Well, you’re the police expert. I’m sure you’ll figure it out sooner or later. But I must say, I thought you handled that crime scene quite well. I enjoyed watching you.”

“And did you arrange for the shooter?”

“My, my, Deputy. You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?”

Kate’s fingers tightened on the receiver. “That’s part of my job. I ask questions so I can find people who break the law.” She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “Your voice is unfamiliar to me, so I know you don’t live on Ocracoke. Why would you come to a place where families are vacationing and try to hurt someone?”

Laughter rumbled in her ear. “I’m not interested in the tourists, Deputy Michaels. It’s you who fascinates me. Before long, you’ll be wishing I’d gone somewhere else besides Ocracoke. There’s the title of an old song that I want you to think about over the next few days. It’s one especially for you, Kate.”

“What song?”

“‘I’ll Be Seeing You.’”

The whispered words drifted into her ear as if they rode on a foggy mist. They flowed through her body, giving her a sense of helplessness and vulnerability like she’d never experienced. Her heart pounded, and the cold sensation she’d felt on the beach earlier coursed through her veins. Someone she didn’t know was watching her movements and had spoken the most chilling words she’d ever heard.

Kate opened her mouth to speak, but the phone line went dead. Kate pulled the receiver from her ear and stared at it. She punched the caller ID button and shook her head when
Private number
was displayed.

Placing the phone back in its cradle, she replayed the phone conversation and what she’d learned from it in her head. She now knew she was right about someone watching from the fishing skiff earlier this morning. He had also admitted leaving the bottle bomb. He hadn’t admitted to killing Jake or arranging for the shooter, and that puzzled her. Why wouldn’t he take credit for those as well? And most of all, why was he fascinated with her?

She stood, walked to the window and looked up and down the street. She saw no parked cars or anyone walking on the sidewalk. Yet the caller said he’d seen her at the Sun Shop and as she entered the Health Center. Chills raced up her spine at the thought of how his voice sounded. The menacing whine of impending danger rang through her mind.

She didn’t know what was about to happen, but she did know one thing: someone with an unknown agenda walked around Ocracoke, and he’d made her his target. Maybe Jake had been his first. She prayed that she could find this mysterious person before he carried through with his intentions.

Kate stepped back from the window and closed her eyes for a moment. She had no idea who he was or where she should begin looking for him—but when she found him, she would come face to face with pure evil.

L
ate that afternoon Kate pulled her squad car to a stop in the driveway behind the Island Connection Bed-and-Breakfast. She switched off the ignition and rubbed her eyes. She didn’t know when she’d ever been so tired. The thought of a relaxing bath and a good night’s sleep tempted her to crank the car again and head for home, but she had promised Treasury she would come for dinner.

She lay against the headrest for a moment and closed her eyes. Dinner tonight could prove to be uncomfortable. She climbed from the car and had taken only two steps toward the back porch when a gray ball of fur swept past her feet. Startled, she jumped backward and stared at her little sister’s cat dashing across the backyard.

“Rascal,” she muttered. Sometimes she thought the six-toed Maltese cat took great pleasure in scaring the wits out of her.

She watched Rascal disappear under a wisteria vine before she pulled her gaze back to the white Victorian house that had been a second home to her and her sisters since the death of their parents. Through the years it had also been a haven for her family when riding out the hurricanes that battered their shores.

She glanced at the blue sky. There was no storm today. Instead a gentle breeze stirred the leaves on the trees in the yard and sent music from the wind chimes hanging on the back porch resonating through her weary mind. Her gaze drifted upward to the open window in the corner on the second floor. Lace curtains fluttered on the sill.

She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Hey, anybody up there?”

The curtains parted, and her twenty-two-year-old sister Betsy appeared. Her long brown hair blew around her shoulders, and the dimples in her cheeks winked with a smile before her eyebrows drew down into a scowl. She placed her hands on the windowsill and stuck her head out the opening. “It’s about time you got here. Did it ever occur to you to call and let your family know you’re okay? Getting shot at on the beach doesn’t happen every day, and neither does finding a body.”

Kate placed her hands on her hips. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so busy, but I figured the island hotline had broadcast all the latest news. How did you hear?”

“I stopped for coffee at the Sandwich Shop this morning, and Grady was in there.”

Kate’s response was cut off by a squeal accompanied by the slam of the back door. Emma, her ten-year-old sister, flew at her and grabbed her around the waist. Laughing, Kate reached down and picked up the little girl. “Oh, Emma, you’re getting so heavy I can hardly lift you.”

The child locked her legs around Kate, rocked back in Kate’s arms and smiled. Emma’s tongue peeked through the gap where a tooth had been a few days before, and Kate’s heart pumped. She reached up and smoothed a strand of Emma’s hair back into the ponytail that had become the hairdo of choice over the past few months.

As it did every time Kate looked into her sister’s face, a lump formed in her throat. The brown eyes, so like their mother’s, always sent a longing through Kate for what Emma had missed in not knowing their mother longer. But Kate had promised their mother as she was dying when Emma was only four she would take care of her sisters and her father, and that was what she’d done.

“Where have you been all day, Kate?” Without waiting for an answer, Emma tilted her head and glanced up at Betsy in the window. “Betsy has been painting all day. But guess what Treasury and I did?”

“What?”

Emma’s face beamed as she wiggled out of Kate’s arms. “We made my costume for the play this weekend.”

“I can hardly wait to see it. I know you’re going to be the prettiest girl in the play.”

Emma shrugged, and her eyebrows arched. “Well, I’m only a servant girl in Blackbeard’s house this year, but I’m going to have a bigger part next year.”

“I’m sure you will. We’ve practiced your line enough to warrant a bigger speaking part next summer.”

As if on cue, they leaned toward each other and spoke in unison. “More ale, sir?”

Betsy leaned farther out the window and laughed. “I’ve heard that so many times it’s beginning to haunt me when I sleep. Emma, why don’t you go see if dinner’s almost ready?”

Emma glanced up at her sister and nodded. “Treasury’s already told me it’ll be about twenty minutes.”

“Then I’ll be down in a few minutes. After I eat, I have to get back to work. I’m trying to finish this last painting that I’m going to have for sale at the festival this weekend. I’ll see you two in the dining room later.”

Kate waved as Betsy ducked back inside. As she and Emma headed for the back door, Kate smiled down at the child. “So you’ve helped Treasury today? Lisa told me yesterday that she wants you to come to the station and help her with filing whenever you can.”

“Oh, can I come tomorrow? I like helping at the police station.” Emma’s eyes blazed with excitement.

“We’ll see. But I need to talk to Treasury now. Why don’t you come in the house and watch TV until dinner?”

Emma pushed the back door open and scampered ahead of Kate. The smell of coffee drifted from the kitchen and reminded Kate of her interrupted lunch. She hadn’t had anything since.

Treasury Wilkes turned from the sink. Her eyebrows pulled into a worried frown, and she hurried across the kitchen toward Kate. She grabbed her by the shoulders, held her at arms’ length and stared into her face. “Are you all right? I was scared to death when I heard that you’d been shot at on the beach. I called the station, and Lisa told me you were okay.” Her frown grew deeper. “Did you ever think about calling to let us know?”

Kate’s face grew warm, and she glanced down at the floor. It was as if she was being chastised by her mother. “I’m sorry, Treasury. There was so much happening today. I’ll do better in the future. I promise.”

After a moment, Treasury released her. “Good. I never heard of such. People killed, police officers shot at and a bomb blowing up. What’s going to happen next on our island?”

Kate shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“If you’re through chasing criminals for the day, maybe you can do something about that cat.”

Kate laughed and glanced at Emma. “He nearly scared me to death when he ran under my feet in the backyard. I think the name Rascal fits him well.”

Emma’s eyes grew wide. “He’s my friend. I love him. He lets me count his toes. He has six.”

Treasury propped her hands on her hips and arched an eyebrow. “Have you been helping that pesky prowler get in my garbage cans?”

Emma shook her head. “No. He can’t get in the cans. You put those bumpy cords on them.”

Kate burst out laughing and hugged Emma to her. “Not bumpy cords. They’re bungee cords. Now why don’t you go on and watch TV while I talk to Treasury?”

Treasury watched the child scamper away before she turned back to the oven and pulled out a pan of dinner rolls that made Kate’s mouth water. Nobody on the island could cook like Treasury.

As she poured a cup of coffee, Kate regarded the frail woman who had been their mother’s best friend. The years were beginning to take their toll. The responsibility of running the Island Connection Bed-and-Breakfast was becoming a burden. In addition to the busy tourist season, there were always repairs to be made on the building and hurricane season to survive. After working all her life, Treasury deserved some relief from the day-to-day worry of running her business.

With no family, the aging Treasury might soon become the responsibility of Kate and Betsy, and that was exactly how it should be. After their mother’s death, Treasury was the only one Kate and Betsy could talk to about her. Their father had kept his grief to himself. Then after his death, they realized that the years had formed a lifelong commitment between all of them.

Kate dropped into a chair at the kitchen table and crossed her arms on the tabletop. “Something else happened this morning.”

A small frown crinkled Treasury’s forehead. “What?”

“I ran into someone on the beach.” Kate leaned back in her chair and tilted her head to one side. “Someone you probably already knew was on the island. Brock Gentry. And he tells me you’ve invited him for dinner tonight.”

Treasury picked up a towel and wiped her hands. “Yes, he’s a guest here. You know I always offer my guests the option of having dinner here instead of going out. In fact I have several others that are joining us as well as Brock.” Treasury leaned against the kitchen counter and directed a probing stare at Kate. “How did you feel seeing him after all these years?”

Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. Confused and a little angry.”

Treasury reached out and took Kate’s hand in hers. “What happened between you and Brock was a long time ago. One of the hardest things to learn in a relationship is how to compromise, and neither one of you had learned that. You weren’t ready for the responsibilities that come with marriage. I doubt if you would have made it.”

“Do you really think so?” Kate had never thought of her heartbreak that way.

Treasury nodded. “And if you’d married him, you wouldn’t have been here to take care of your family when they needed you the most. I think God knew where you needed to be at the time.”

“Maybe so,” Kate murmured.

Treasury placed a finger under Kate’s chin and tilted her head up. “But that doesn’t mean your life is over, Kate. God still has a plan for you. You just have to look for it.”

Tears threatened to flood Kate’s eyes, but she blinked them back. “Thanks, Treasury. I always feel better after talking to you.”

Treasury put her arm around Kate’s shoulders and gave her a hug. “Good. Now why don’t you help me get this food on the table so we can have a nice dinner?”

Kate drained her cup of coffee and stood. “What do you need me to do?”

Fifteen minutes later Kate poured the last glass of water and stepped back to survey Treasury’s specialty, a dish of baked shrimp, that bubbled in the center of the table. On the sideboard, a traditional island fig cake graced the crystal dessert plate that had belonged to Treasury’s mother. Meals at the Island Connection were served family style. Treasury tried to make each guest feel as if they were more than a guest, that they were family members for a short period of time.

Kate inhaled the tempting smells of the kitchen and dining room and pressed her hand against her growling stomach. A chuckle from behind startled her, and she whirled around. Brock stood just inside the door from the hallway.

“Hungry?”

Her face warmed, and she moved to the head of the table. Bending over to straighten the napkin and silverware next to the plate, she nodded. “I missed most of my lunch.”

Brock stepped into the room. “Did you find out anything about the bomb that was left?”

She opened her mouth to tell him about the conversation she’d had with the mysterious caller earlier, but she swallowed the words. For the time being, she should keep that information to herself. Her thoughts went to the teenager who’d been injured in the alley.

“The boy’s parents came to the Health Center. They were very concerned about him, but they were thankful he wasn’t injured worse.”

Brock nodded. “He was lucky. I don’t understand why anyone would leave one of those things knowing that somebody could be injured when it exploded.”

“I know. It doesn’t make sense to me, either.”

The sound of footsteps coming down the staircase caught Kate’s attention, and she glanced past Brock to the hallway. A man, who looked to be in his late thirties, stepped into the room and stopped next to Brock. He shoved his hands in the pockets of the khaki pants he wore and smiled at Kate. His eyebrows arched slightly as his gaze traveled over her uniform. He turned to Brock and grinned.

“This is your first full day on the island. Are you already in trouble with the law?”

Brock chuckled and pointed to Kate. “No, Kate and her sisters are friends of Mrs. Wilkes. They’re joining us for dinner tonight.” He tilted his head toward the man. “Kate, this is Dillon McAllister. He’s one of Treasury’s guests. And Dillon, this is Deputy Kate Michaels. She’s the chief deputy on the island.”

Dillon stepped toward Kate and shook her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Deputy Michaels. I’ve been on your island since day before yesterday. I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying it already.”

“I’m glad you are, but please call me Kate. Are you here alone?”

He nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. My wife was supposed to come, but her mother became ill right before we left. She stayed behind to take care of her. I would have canceled the trip, but this really isn’t a vacation for me. I’m here doing some research.”

Kate raised her eyebrows. “Research?”

“Yes. I teach history at the University of Arkansas. I’m especially interested in the pirate activities along the eastern seaboard of the United States during the 1700s. I’m doing research about the stories of sunken ships and buried treasure in this part of the country. My department at school is allowing me some time off to gather material for the textbook that I’m writing.”

Kate nodded. “Then you’ve come to the right place. There are all kinds of stories about the ships that lie in what’s called the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Ocracoke was the headquarters for Blackbeard during that time period. He was killed in a battle just offshore, and legend has it that his treasure is buried somewhere on Ocracoke. Have you met our unofficial island historian yet?”

Dillon shook his head. “I didn’t know there was one.”

Kate laughed. “His name is Grady Teach. He’s a descendant of Blackbeard and can tell you all kinds of stories that he says have been handed down through his family. You’ll see him around the village taking tourists on walking tours to points of interests. If you want me to, I’ll get in touch with him and introduce you.”

“Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”

“You may not be thanking me after you meet Grady. He’s quite a character, and his stories can be unbelievable at times. You have to filter out the truth from the fiction. But he does have a lot of knowledge about history during that time period.”

Dillon nodded. “That’s what I’m looking for.”

“You’ve also come to the island at a good time,” Kate added. “This weekend we’re having our annual Blackbeard Festival. There will be all kinds of activities that focus on the pirates who sailed our waters in the early 1700s. The arts and crafts community will have booths set up everywhere selling their work, and the island will be swamped with visitors from the mainland. There’s a play Friday night, and my little sister Emma has a role for the first time. She can hardly wait.”